


Trying Things

by stitchy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Asexual Character, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance, ace!tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 19:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5303363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stitchy/pseuds/stitchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tony has a reputation and Steve's confused about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trying Things

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big fan of playboys who talk a big talk and take infinitesimal baby steps, what can I say. I'm writing from my own corner of the asexuality spectrum, so YMMV.

 “I don’t get it,” Steve says looking up at Tony who's happily propped on one elbow with his idle hand running through Steve’s hair methodically.  
  
  “You’ll have to be more specific, buttercup,” he smirks. “There’s plenty you don’t get.”

  Steve lightly takes Tony’s hand and brings it to the side of his own face, pressing into the palm, relishing the twitch of index finger tracing his eyebrow. He could sink through the mattress, right to the floor. “You invited me your room-” Steve trails off.

  He isn’t sure what it is he’s not getting. Well- laid. He’s not getting laid. Oh sure, they make out in lots of dark corners, and eye each other up like one of their superpowers is x-ray vision, but they aren’t subsequently screwing. Which is honestly fine, but Steve expected to have been jumped by now. Tony Stark has a certain ‘Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em’ reputation.

  At first he thought they were takings things slowly because this was different... Different because they were already good friends, or because they’re not out, or time-displaced culture shock, or because they work together, a combination- whatever. It didn’t really matter _why_ Tony was willing to make an exception for him, just as long as Steve had time to prove there was more to their chemistry than sexual attraction. Like a love of friendly bets with breakfast-for-dinner stakes, or that bone-deep restlessness for do-goodery of Steve’s that Tony just _got_. He just hopes that Tony isn’t reconsidering getting involved with him at all.

  “Have I misunderstood something?” he hears himself saying. It’s better than _‘Have I done something wrong?’_ which was the other question competing for airtime. If Tony had said Steve was fine, Steve knows Tony would have turned it around on himself- and the last thing Steve ever wants to do is add to Tony’s overdeveloped sense of guilt.

  “Nope, you found the right room and took your shoes off before getting in the bed and everything. Most impressive comprehension,” Tony says, voice fond, barely teasing. Like he couldn’t be more content. And maybe that’s it. His thumb brushes back and forth on Steve’s cheek in a steady beat.  
  
 “You’ve had me here for an hour and you haven’t tried anything.”

 “No,” Tony says lightly.  
  
 “And you don’t want to?” Steve asks, fairly certain he’s right.

 Tony heaves a sigh that usually proceeds a lecture on something someone born this side of the moon landing would have a grasp on. “Steve. Stevestevesteve,” he breathes. Then he vaults his body so he’s on his hands and knees over Steve with him still stretched out on his back, suddenly crowded. “I want to try things,” Tony says meaningfully. Very close to his face. “I want to try to count every single hair on your head, or at least your eyelashes. I want to try to convince you in broad daylight that it’s midnight, so you’d be content to fall asleep in my arms and I can watch you breathe. I want to try telepathy, so I can never be not telling you how gorgeous you are, even when you’re too far away to hear, or you mute me on comms.” Steve knits his eyebrows, but Tony kisses his forehead. “I want to try and paint you, or carve you in stone, or compose an opera about you. I _want_ , Steve. I want to try things.”  
  
  Steve tries to speak, but he’s not really sure where to start when a man offers you eyelashes and operas.  
  
  “I want to try so many things, Steve,” Tony promises again. “To show you how I feel, and to feel you- but I do not feel like trying to have sex with you is going to be very enlightening.”

  He’s blushing and he’s suddenly very hot and he can’t speak because his heart is in his throat, Steve realizes.

  Tony’s eyes race and he starts to back pedal. “I get it if that’s too much. It’s okay if that’s a deal breaker.”

  “No. No, Tony,” he says. “We’re okay.” Because Tony is trying to make himself enough, but he doesn’t have to, he always is. Steve throws his arms around his neck and pulls Tony against him.

 “Okay,” Tony repeats, a bit muffled in the corner of Steve’s neck and shoulder. “I mean, poetic goo aside. You’re amazingly amazing. But I never really want to have sex with anyone? But people want to have sex with me,” he motors on, “- and I want lots of the other things people do with the people they have sex with? And god knows I deal with enough money to know that you very rarely get something for nothing so-”  
  
  “Tony!” Steve objects at the thought of transaction. He pushes up so they’re both sitting. “I know you’re supposed to be the genius, but I’m going to explain something to _you_ , for once.”  
  
  Tony pulls back enough to look Steve in the eye again. “Oh yeah?”

  Steve gives his shoulder a squeeze like he would if they were standing in the battlefield and he needed Leaderly Reassurance. “Your affection is not a Nothing that has to be bolstered by sex to be worth returning.”

  Tony’s inky eyes widen. “How can you be sure you’re okay with not having sex? Because I’ve tried in the past. I’ve tried being sure I _could_ put up with doing it...” he trails off.

  Steve’s heart breaks a little.  
  
  “ _I_ couldn’t put up with being the kind of person who made you feel obligated to do something you didn’t want,” he tells him. Tony’s expression is so open and unguarded, Steve would hate himself to be the person to break that trust. “I’m really glad you told me. We’re going to talk more and figure out where the lines are so I can respect them,” he adds. He was aiming for sounding like a very mature adult embarking on a serious relationship, but he must have overshot a bit into the Captain America territory of honor and responsibility, because Tony smolders back at him. Privately used Captain America voice always gets the better of him.  
  
 “You’re going to respect me, Captain?” he dares.  
  
 Steve gives back the best sizzle he’s got- “Oh, I am going to _respect the shit outta you_.”  
  
 Tony pretends to fan himself but Steve clambers to fold himself around Tony protectively. He can’t imagine claiming to love someone and then treating a lack of sex like a deal breaker. It’s not like they don’t already have sweaty, physical, breath stopping activities they do together. All he wants is to be the one Tony tries to to make smile at the end of a rotten day. The one Tony tries to surprise with little notes taped inside his helmet and sneak attack bear hugs that would end with way more bodily harm if the Iron Man suit weren’t involved. That Tony bothers spending any part of his day on Steve’s pleasure is not something he was ever entitled to- it’s precious enough because Tony chooses to do it. Being that considerate in return is exactly the kind of commitment Steve wants.

  They sit there with Steve’s hands rubbing circles on Tony’s back just long enough to get the better of Tony’s middle aged knees, apparently, because he starts to tug them back over with a grunt. “C’mere you lug.”  
  
   Steve snorts a laugh at Tony’s teeth, grit in mock strain. He’s not fooling Steve. He’s watched Tony haul pipes and metal sheeting around with his bare arms and on one very special occasion, an adolescent pig.

 “Got any other moves you wanna try on me, there?” Tony kisses him without preamble and Steve obligingly melts. “That’ll do.”

 When Tony has him pinned to the bed again he ducks his head low, to whisper something in Steve’s ear. “There is one other thing I want to try...”

 Steve inhales so sharply that his considerable lung capacity lifts Tony an inch or two. Tony must have felt like he risked so much telling him the truth- now Steve’s in a rush to give back that vulnerable sincerity- “I love you so much, I do.”

  “Oh my god, you sap.” Tony starts giggling and collapses in a riotous heap on top him. “I was going to blow a raspberry on your neck, you absolute darling,” he pants. “Oh man...” He winds himself down from his laughter, then plants his chin on Steve’s chest and closes his eyes. “I love you, you know.”  
  
 Steve does know. He smoothes back Tony’s hair for bit, until he thinks the coast is clear. Licks his lips.

 Quick as a shot, he flips Tony and gives him the wettest, longest possible raspberry until he’s giggling and gasping for a truce.

 “You’re a dirty fighter. I’m telling,” he yelps.

 “Who are they gonna believe, a slobber covered pip squeak, or Captain America, huh?”  
  
 “You do have an honest face,” Tony agrees. “An honest, very pretty, reminds-me-of-roses face. Bastard.” Steve tuts but kisses him anyway. “Wanna move this skirmish to the living room and scandalize some teammates?” Tony suggests.

  Steve considers the scene and narrows his eyes at Tony. “We should flip the couch on its side.”  
  
  “That’s some evil genius level thinking. I’ll grab some extra clothes to toss around, too.”

 

~

 

 “For the love of- you have an entire penthouse Tony, good grief.”

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

>  
> 
>  
> 
> follow [stitchyarts](http://stitchyarts.tumblr.com/)  
> on tumblr for more Marvel art :D


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